When First We Practice to Deceive
by Nynaeve80
Summary: HGVK Hermione's hiding something from Viktor, and he doesn't know what to do about it.
1. Lies

**Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter...unfortunately. This fic will probaby be about 3 chapters total.**

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Viktor's POV

Viktor groaned as he rolled over in bed. Although he was madly in love with his wife of three years, he was dangerously close to hexing her if she didn't turn off that insufferable Muggle alarm clock. "Loff? Could you please turn off the clock?" he asked, trying to avoid cursing. She didn't respond well to his cursing, and if she got angry with him _now, _then that meant no chance of an early morning shag.

"Oh, I'm, sorry, Viktor," Hermione replied, quickly jumping up from the bed and shutting off the alarm. "I forgot you wanted to sleep in today." As she spoke, she walked around to his side of the bed and kissed him on the forehead. "Just go back to sleep, love," she whispered.

Opening one eye ever so slightly, Viktor could see Hermione in one of his old practice t-shirts that hung down to the middle of her thighs. He adored seeing her in _his _clothes. It was just another lovely reminder that she was his wife…after all those years of dreaming of her, she was finally _his. _Not wanting to miss his chance to surprise her, he quickly lunged for her, easily grabbing her arm before she had time to react. Since he had gotten married, he realized being a world-famous Seeker had many more advantages than he had previously thought…

"Viktor!" Hermione squeaked, doing her best to admonish him while he nuzzled her neck. "You know I have to meet Ginny at…oh, Viktor," she gasped as his teeth scraped across a particularly sensitive spot behind her ear, "you really shouldn't…I mean I should be getting up…"

"Shh, loff," Viktor murmured as he continued kissing her. He smiled inwardly as he felt her resolve weakening. "Ginny vill understand," he said, nibbling on her earlobe.

"But I _promised _her I wouldn't be late this time," Hermione said huskily, even as she ran her hands up and down his bare chest. Viktor groaned at her touch, his body quickly responding to her warmth.

"Please, loff," Viktor said as he let his hands roam under her shirt, eliciting a soft moan from her. "I need you."

As expected, those three little words did away with any resistance on her part. He knew he should feel bad for playing to her weakness, but he couldn't help himself. Hermione was practically perfect in his eyes, although she never could bring herself to see it. She was constantly fretting about the fact that he supposedly didn't 'need' her, which couldn't be further from the truth. Any time he said he needed her, she would inevitably give in to any requests he made.

As he pulled her nightshirt over her head, exposing her feminine figure to his eyes, his breath caught in his throat. Although he had been with her countless times over the past three years, her beauty still took him by surprise. The fantasies he had over the years could never compare to the living, breathing version of the perfect woman in his bed…_their _bed. As a young man of eighteen, he always imagined he would end up in a loveless marriage of convenience since he had yet to fall in love. Instead, he found himself now in his mid twenties, married to a woman who could make his heart race with just a simple smile.

"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked worriedly as she drew him closer, pressing her soft body against his chest.

"You're just so beautiful, loff," Viktor answered in a whisper. He rolled her over on her back, peering down into her lovely face as he spoke. He was delighted to see her face turn pink as a slight flush crept up her neck. She always blushed at his compliments, a trait which he found incredibly adorable. She opened her mouth as if to protest, but he quickly covered her mouth with his own, all too happy to silence any objections.

Approximately thirty minutes later, Viktor rolled off of Hermione as he pulled her close to him. Breathing heavily, he wrapped his arm around her waist, stroking her back lovingly. The silly grin on his face could in no way adequately reflect just how wonderful the past half hour had been. "I loff you, Hermione Krum," he whispered into her hair. She responded by sighing happily as she snuggled closer to him.

"Oi! Viktor!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly, jumping up from the bed. His body immediately shivered at the loss of warmth. "I'm going to be late _again. _And don't you even _think _about joining me in the shower!" She warned, pointing her finger at him for emphasis. "You know it will only end up making me later."

Despite her warning, Viktor propped himself up on his elbow as he asked with a grin, "Vhy vould it make you later?" He let his eyes travel over her still-nude form scrambling around the room, attempting to find her clothes. He knew _exactly _why it would make her later, but it was much more fun to hear her admit it.

"Viktor, don't," Hermione pleaded, holding up her hand. "You know I can't resist you, and if you take a shower with me, we'll both just end up back in bed."

"Is that such a bad thing?" He inquired, raising his eyebrows. He loved teasing her…especially when she said she couldn't resist him_..ahhh, the things she did for his ego. _

"Yes!" she exclaimed, only to be followed immediately by "No!" Viktor merely chuckled as she huffed in frustration. "You _know _what I mean, Viktor! I would loveto stay in bed with you, but Ginny will kill me!"

Her eyes held such a pleading look that he finally decided to quit teasing her. She was always very conscious of her friends, something that he had to adjust to when they married. It had taken him a while to realize that although he was the first priority in her life, it didn't mean he was the _only _priority. Knowing it would hurt her to disappoint Ginny, he simply smiled and nodded at his wife as he laid back down in the bed.

A few moments later, he heard the shower running, and he nearly jumped up to join her before he caught himself. After a few minutes torturing himself with images of water running over Hermione's naked body, he began to regret his decision to stay in bed. He punched his pillow in frustration as he heard her start to dress for the day. As she walked over to their bed again, he quickly shut his eyes, feigning sleep.

"I hope you sleep well," she said in a soft voice. "I love you, and I promise I'll make it up to you tonight." With that, she gave him a tender kiss on the forehead and headed out the door.

Viktor smiled to himself as he thought about just how amazing tonight would be…

Hermione's POV

As she apparated away from her house, she could feel guilt gnawing away at her insides. She absolutely _hated _keeping things from Viktor, no matter how small it was. It always seemed like a form of betrayal to her, and the _last _thing she wanted to do was hurt him. Regardless, she was now in a position where she was forced to keep something from him in order to keep him from getting hurt….She nearly stamped her foot in frustration at the situation she was in. No matter what she did, she felt guilty about it. Not to mention there was a feeling in the pit of her stomach that this would _not _turn out well…

Pushing aside those thoughts, Hermione strode confidently towards the tall, dark-haired man in front of her. While she might be slowly falling apart on the inside, she was determined not to show it. Besides, after this, she was going shopping with Ginny and then spending a romantic evening with Viktor, so everything would turn out okay…_hopefully. _

As she approached her target, he spotted her and smiled. She was surprised to see how handsome he had become since the last time she saw him. Quickening her pace, she launched her arms around him in a fierce hug. "Seamus!" she exclaimed, thrilled to see her old schoolmate looking so well. She and the friendly Irishman had always gotten along well in school, although she was never as close to him as she had been to Ron and Harry.

"Hermione!" He replied, hugging her back as he gave her a peck on the cheek. "Gods, it's good to see you. It's been, what, 2 years? You're still as beautiful as ever," he said, giving her a wink. She felt herself blush despite her best efforts not to. "I'm still kicking myself for not asking you out in school."

She merely laughed, shaking her head. "Still the charmer, I see _Doctor _Finnegan," she said pointedly. It was his turn to blush slightly as he gestured towards his door.

"I do what I can," he responded with a smile. "I was beginning to think you might back out on me," he teased.

"I was…_detained _this morning by unforeseen events," she responded cryptically, hoping he would get the hint. His eyes merely twinkled as he nodded his head in response.

"Won't you come into my office, Miss…_Thomas_, is it?" he inquired, raising his eyebrow slightly.

"Yes, it's Miss _Thomas_, thank you," Hermione replied smiling as she stepped forward through the door. _Just a few more minutes…_she coached herself, praying with all her might that she would have good news for Ginny.

Viktor's POV

Going back to sleep had proved a futile endeavor, so Viktor decided to downstairs to the kitchen for a late breakfast. Fixing his eyes upon the table, he discovered several dishes containing scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, jam, and potatoes. Judging from the steam still rising on the bacon, there was an advanced heating charm on the dishes as well. It appeared his lovely wife had taken the time out of her busy schedule to prepare his food…despite the fact that it was _he _who made her late to begin with. Shaking his head in awe, he smiled as he sat down to eat. He really was _truly _undeserving of her.

He hurriedly ate his breakfast, not the least bit surprised to find everything spectacular. Hermione, contrary to her protests, was a very good cook in his opinion. She had even learned to make a few of his favorite Bulgarian dishes, too. True, it had taken a few tries before it could be classified as edible, but he had been impressed nonetheless.

A few moments later, he jumped in the shower, pondering his plans for the day. He knew a wonderful little spot to buy some flowers for Hermione, and he could probably pick something up to cook for her as well. Although she always treated him wonderfully, she had been especially patient the last few weeks. Quidditch season was starting up again, and his days were packed with meetings, practices, signings, etc. Now that he finally had a day off, he was going to use it to show her just how much she meant to him.

Half an hour later, Viktor found himself walking down the hallway at St. Mungo's. One of his teammates, Sacha, was recovering from a broken leg he had sustained from falling off his broom in an earlier practice. Viktor had managed to purchase the flowers as well as the food he needed in record time, so he thought he would drop by to see Sacha before heading home.

What he wasn't planning on seeing was a mediwizard lovingly embracing his wife. At first glance, he just assumed it was a woman who _resembled_ Hermione. After all, he had been thinking about her all day, and it was likely just his imagination running away with him…then, he heard her_ laugh_. There was no doubt in his mind that the distinctive, sultry laugh belonged to Hermione…which meant his wife was currently in the arms of a handsome stranger.


	2. Drowning

**Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter.**

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Viktor's POV

Viktor felt his blood run cold at the sight in front of him. He wanted to shout, yell, scream, but he was paralyzed. His worst fear was coming true – he was losing Hermione to another man. Just thinking those words nearly brought him to his knees. He could feel the sweat forming on his brow, and he leaned against the wall to his left for support. He could see the way her eyes shined as she hugged him, and he didn't miss the wink or the kiss the mediwizard gave her. The small spark of hope left in his heart was snuffed when he heard her say her name was _Miss Thomas. _

He watched, unable to move or speak, as Hermione walked into the office with the man, a brilliant smile on her face. Regardless, he couldn't quite bring himself to believe she was cheating on him. He had never met anyone as loyal as she was, and it just wasn't like her to sleep with another man. _It wasn't like her to lie either, but that mediwizard sure wasn't Ginny, _a nagging voice in his head reminded him. He kept replaying their conversation in his mind, over and over again. _Did she mention anything about St. Mungo's? _Perhaps she had an appointment but simply forgot to tell him? Or maybe she told him, and _he _forgot? _But she said her name was Miss Thomas, not Mrs. Krum, _the nagging voice piped up again.

Frustrated with himself, Viktor shook his head vigorously. He needed to get rid of his suspicions. Hermione was the love of his life, and she wouldn't cheat on him. After all, he had been gone for days at a time for Quidditch, and she hadn't cheated on him…_had she? Did he really know? _He suddenly felt like he didn't know which way was up. Everything he had assumed in his three-year marriage was now called into question. It was as if he was literally drowning in doubt.

Fighting the urge to bust down the doctor's door, Viktor ordered himself to relax. Several deep breaths later, he spotted a receptionist outside the doctor's door. Determined to find out some answers, he squared his shoulders and walked swiftly over to the woman at the desk. "Excuse me, miss?" he asked politely, knowing he would more than likely have to rely on all of his charm to get what he wanted.

"Oh, yes. It's Mary Johnson, Mister…?" she inquired, raising one perfect eyebrow. He could immediately tell she spent hours in front of the mirror each day trying to achieve the desired look. Not a single hair was out of place, her nails were flawlessly manicured, and she had enough makeup on to rival a clown. He normally wasn't one to notice such trivialities about women, but he viewed her more as an opponent at the moment….and he _always _sized up an opponent before a match.

Judging by her appearance, he quickly decided she was somewhat vain, self-centered, and would probably be impressed with his last name. He cringed inwardly, hating what he was about to do, but not seeing any other way. "Krum, Viktor Krum. You may have heard of me. I'm on the-"

"Oh, yes! Good heavens!" The woman exclaimed, immediately jumping up from her chair. She nervously patted her blond hair, and smoothed invisible wrinkles from her robes. "I know exactly who you are! I just _love _watching you play!" She gushed, extending her hand in greeting.

Viktor smiled despite the agony he was in. He _had _to find out what was going on… Deciding charming her was the way to go, Viktor raised her hand to his lips, watching with satisfaction as a deep blush rose on her cheeks. "Oh, my, Mister Krum, it seems you are every bit the gentleman The Daily Prophet said you were," she practically purred.

"Please, call me Viktor," he said, gritting his teeth while he smiled. He wasn't entirely sure how much more of this he could handle. She was practically simpering already, and he was only a few minutes away from being physically ill. "I vas hoping you could help me."

"Of course!" she replied immediately, her face full of enthusiasm.

Fifteen minutes later, Viktor hurriedly apparated to his house, not wanting to spend any more time with the horrid Mary Johnson. Fortunately, he _did_ manage to find out exactly what he wanted to know…unfortunately, it was decidedly _not _good news. Apparently, the doctor, Seamus Finnegan, had gone to school with _Miss Thomas. _He had requested her appointment to last an hour, over twice as long as his _usual _appointments.

The receptionist then went on to explain how Dr. Finnegan was one of the most sought-after doctors at St. Mungo's. Nearly all the women there, both single and married, had attempted to catch his eye…save _her_, of course. Viktor guessed by her bitter tone that she had, in fact, been after Dr. Finnegan as well, but he apparently hadn't returned her affections. The vile woman then went on to say that Miss Thomas never gave a reason for the appointment, and she had a sneaking suspicion it was of a more _personal _nature. When she gave a conspiratorial wink to Viktor, he nearly gagged.

Not able to take any more of Mary Johnson, Viktor left the hospital near tears. Part of him wanted to force his way into the doctor's office and fight for his wife, but he couldn't do it. He tried to tell himself it was because he wanted to have faith in Hermione, but he knew it was mostly because he was afraid his heart couldn't handle what he might find. He didn't want to believe she was seeing another man, but it was the only conclusion he could reach. His heart still didn't want to accept it, but his mind wouldn't stop racing. _Why would she lie about the appointment? Why would she lie about her name? Why was she hugging him and smiling at him? _

Knowing he wouldn't find out anymore until she came home, he picked up his broomstick and headed out the door. He always thought better on a broom, and he was hoping a little time in the air would clear his mind…or at least soothe his broken heart.

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Hermione's POV

Her time with Seamus went even better than she had hoped. It seemed like the hour just flew by, and she was surprised to find it nearly time to meet Ginny. After one more hug and peck on the cheek from Seamus, she hurried out the door to The Three Broomsticks where Ginny was waiting.

"So how did it go?" Ginny immediately asked upon seeing her.

Hermione merely smiled as she shook her head. Ginny had been possibly the best friend she could hope for the past three years. While Harry and Ron had been wonderful mates in school, they weren't very helpful when it came to matters of the heart. Harry had nearly passed out when he realized she was no longer a virgin. After that painful incident, she had been _very _careful about relinquishing any details of her marriage to either one. Ginny, of course, was a whole other story…

"Don't worry, you'll get all the details," she replied as she took her seat in the booth.

Thirty minutes later, Hermione had provided all the juicy details of her 'appointment' with Seamus. Ginny smiled dreamily into space before responding, "You're so lucky, 'Mione."

"I know," she agreed, smiling at her red-headed friend. "I just don't know how I'm going to tell Viktor," she added, biting her lower lip nervously. The idea of having to tell him simply terrified her.

"You should tell him soon," Ginny urged, squeezing Hermione's hand in comfort. "He deserves to know."

"I know he does, it's just that…" her voice trailed off as she shook her head. "I'm afraid of what he might say or _do_," she admitted. Being a Gryffindor, she despised feeling afraid. It just made her feel so…_weak. _She always imagined that's what a Slytherin would feel like.

"Trust me," Ginny said confidently, "it will all work out for the best."

Hermione took a deep breath and offered her a weak smile. While she wasn't quite as sure of herself as Ginny was, she knew she would have to tell him sooner or later. "I'll tell him tonight," she said firmly, pleased when she saw Ginny's face light up in a smile. _Now if I can just quit trembling inside…_

Hermione's POV

As soon as she got home, she immediately started making Viktor's favorite dinner. The name was ridiculously difficult to pronounce, so she always referred to it as 'meatloaf surprise.' It wasn't nearly as difficult to prepare, so she had plenty of time to clean the living room as well. As she was racing around the kitchen, she happened to glance at the table, on which she found a note left by Viktor.

_Hermione, _

_Went to meet Harry for a few drinks._

_Viktor_

She frowned at the letter, a little surprised at the letter's abruptness. Although his letters were never long and flowing, he usually put 'Love Viktor' or some such closing. It seemed rather cold, and almost distant. _Did he figure it out already? _Her heart started beating faster just at the thought. If he found out before she had a chance to explain, things would _not _go well at all.

Unable to calm down, she immediately went about finishing dinner and cleaning the house. Her nervous energy wasn't about to disappear anytime soon, so she might as well make good use of it. She was so caught up in her cleaning that she didn't realize how much time had passed. Glancing up, she saw it was after eight o'clock and Viktor still wasn't home. She tried not to worry, but she had that aching in her stomach again that something was _not _right.

One hour later, Hermione had finished cleaning the entire house, but there was still no sign of Viktor. He didoccasionally go drinking with Harry, but he was usually home before nine. Unable to stand the wait any longer, she grabbed her cloak, ready to apparate to Ginny and Harry's house. Instead, she heard a loud 'pop' in her living room, signaling someone had arrived.

Assuming it was Viktor, she slowly walked into the living room. Viktor _was _there, but he wasn't alone. From the looks of it, The-Boy-Who-Lived was trying to haul Viktor onto the couch, and he wasn't having much luck. Racing over to help, Hermione exclaimed, "What happened?"

"Oh, thank gods you're here, Hermione," Harry said between pants. His hair was matted to his head and sweat was trickling down his face.

"Are you okay? What's wrong with Viktor? Why does he look…wait, is he drunk?" She asked, not caring at the moment that Harry probably didn't understand a word of what she said.

Harry looked down guiltily before responding. "Before you yell, Hermione," Harry said, holding us his hand as she opened her mouth, "let me explain, okay? Viktor owled me, said he wanted to meet after work at the new Muggle bar down the street," he explained, unconsciously taking a step back from her. "I didn't get there until a little after eight, and he was already like _this_ when I showed up."

They both glanced down at the drunken man currently sprawled halfway on the couch, snoring slightly. His hair was mussed, and his clothes were in a state of disarray. She could see a little bit of drool beginning to form in the corner of his mouth. Now that worry was no longer clouding her mind, she realized he _reeked _of alcohol. "Merlin, Viktor, what did you get yourself into this time…" she muttered under her breath as she helped Harry move the rest of his uncooperative body on the couch.

"It took me nearly half an hour just to get him outside so we could apparate in here," Harry said, still breathing hard from his earlier exertion. "The man's all bloody muscle," he muttered.

"Did he say anything about why he wanted to meet with you?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her question casual. She didn't want Harry to know the reasoning behind it.

"No," Harry said, his brow furrowing in thought. "When I showed up, all he could talk about was some clown and a thief who supposedly ruined his life."

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. Viktor held his alcohol extremely well, and she didn't even want to think about how much he had consumed to get in this bad of shape. Glancing back up at Harry, she lied, "Thank you, Harry. I'm so sorry this happened. I have no idea what's gotten into him this evening." Ever since she had known him, he had never gotten this drunk, and she was almost certain it was all her fault.

"Not a problem, 'Mione," Harry replied easily. "Don't worry about it, okay?" He said after seeing her worried face. "He probably just ordered the wrong drink at the bar and ended up drinking more alcohol than he intended," he added reassuringly.

She thanked Harry once more before he apparated home, leaving her with a drunken Viktor. She hated lying to Harry, but it seemed to have become a habit of late. Sighing to herself, she went to retrieve a blanket to cover Viktor's sleeping form. He looked so disheveled that she would have found him adorable under different circumstances. He looked so peaceful now, but she couldn't help but wonder…_what in Merlin's name would he do in the morning? _


	3. Secrets Revealed

**Author's Note: I may have one more chapter, not yet decided.**

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Viktor's POV

About five seconds after Viktor woke up, he had come to the conclusion that he must be dying. There was no other way he could explain how dreadful he felt. His head throbbed, his eyes were bleary, and his mouth couldn't seem to function properly. It felt like he had swallowed a pound of cotton balls…either that, or he had consumed a _vast _amount of alcohol. He had only been drunk twice in his life, and, ironically, it was over the same woman.

When he had to heave Hermione to return to Durmstrang at the age of eighteen, he had spent the next twelve hours drinking himself into a stupor. He wasn't sure he could function without her, and in many ways, he didn't. After he left, he spent many sleepless nights thinking of Hermione and when he would see her again. As soon as he graduated, he immediately bought a house in England so he could be near her. Although he had to wait nearly four years before he could finally make her his wife, she was worth every minute.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he willed the memories to stop flooding his mind. The last thing he wanted to do was remember what he was losing, or rather _lost_. He eventually opened his eyes ever so slightly, allowing his eyes time to adjust to the light. Spotting a glass on the table, he suddenly realized he was on the couch. Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he reached for the glass, recognizing it as Hermione's hangover potion. _Taking pity on me already…_

Rising from the couch, he made his way to the bedroom, cautiously opening the door to see if Hermione was in there. Finding it empty, he went about cleaning himself up. If she wasn't ready to get rid of him earlier, she certainly should have been anxious now. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, and he looked like he'd been hit in the face with an errant Bludger. Sighing defeatedly, he turned on the shower and forced his mind to go blank.

He had almost succeeded in erasing the past twenty-hours from his thoughts when he walked into the kitchen to find his wife preparing breakfast. He nearly tripped over his feet as he stumbled into the room. "Good morning, Viktor," she said softly, her brown eyes full of worry. He tried to give her a weak smile, but it ended up turning into a grimace. "Harry told me that you had a little too much to drink last night," she began, anxiously fiddling with the eggs.

"We need to talk, Hermione," Viktor said, not caring that his voice sounded harsh. He simply couldn't bear making small talk, not when his heart was broken beyond repair.

She gulped nervously, nodding her head in acceptance. She opened her mouth to speak, but he didn't give her the chance. He wasn't entirely sure he could make it through a long, drawn-out conversation without either breaking down or flying off the handle. "Do you loff him?" he asked quietly, fighting back tears that were already threatening to fall.

Hermione's POV

She had been shocked when Viktor walked into the kitchen. He had looked surprisingly well considering the night he had, but his eyes looked so sad it nearly broke her heart. She wasn't entirely sure if he knew her secret, but he was obviously upset about something. His question, however, caught her off guard. "D-do you mean Harry?" she sputtered, bewildered as to why he would ask that question. "Of course I love him, he's one of my best friends," she replied.

Viktor shook his head vigorously, his face taking on an angry expression. "No, _not _Harry," he said, his voice dangerously low. "The doctor you vere seeing yesterday at St. Mungo's," he responded coldly.

Hermione knew her face had gone pale, and her throat suddenly closed up, making it painful to breathe. She tried to shake her head, but Viktor continued, "I saw him kiss you, and put his hands on you, and I vant to know..._do you loff him?" _Even though his words were said forcefully, his eyes weren't angry so much as pleading.

"Viktor, please," she begged, her breath still coming in small pants, "it was _not _what you think-"

"Does this mean you do not loff him?" Viktor interrupted.

"No, I don't love him," she responded, tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't believe this was happening. Her mind was racing, trying to figure out what to say to make him understand. "I love you, Viktor," she said, reaching out to grab his hand.

He snatched his hand away, shaking his head. "If you loff me, then vhy did you lie to me?" he asked, anger once again flashing in his eyes.

"I-I had an appointment, but I didn't want-"

"No!" Viktor barked, "You did not haff appointment, _Miss Thomas." _He practically spat out the last words.

Hermione blanched at his words. "H-how did you…" she bit her lip, not wanting to finish her sentence when she saw the look on his face.

"I am not stupid man, Hermione," he said, his accent getting thicker. It only happened when he lost control of his emotions, which was rapidly occurring.

"I k-know," Hermione stammered, desperately searching for the right words to say. "Viktor, I _did _have an appointment, I just gave a false name."

"Vhy?" came Viktor's sharp, one-word reply.

"I-I didn't want anyone to know I was there," she began, quickly realizing how bad it sounded. Before she was able to continue, Viktor cut in again.

"I think I know vhy you did not vant anyone to know," Viktor said as he snorted.

"No, you don't," Hermione protested.

"Yes, I do, Hermione. You vanted to go vith the doctor-"

"I'm pregnant!" She blurted out, her hand flying to cover her mouth as soon as the words were spoken. _Oh bugger! _This was _not _how she wanted him to find out.

Viktor's eyes grew wide as he stared at her, his mouth moving slowly but no sound coming from it. He staggered back to the table and clumsily sat down in the chair, his breathing already ragged. "V-v-vhat?"

Although she hated being the reason _why _he was shocked, she decided to take advantage of his momentary speechlessness to explain her side of the story. "Viktor, I'm pregnant," she began, holding up her hand when he shook his head. "Yes, I _am_," she said more firmly, "and before you ask, yes, it's yours. You are the only man I have been with."

Despite the fact that her palms were sweating and her heart was racing, her voice sounded surprisingly calm. Thankfully, Viktor was like a statue, not moving or speaking while she continued on her rant. "My mum had a lot of miscarriages before _and _after she had me, and I saw how devastated she and my father were when it happened." She paused, a sad look crossing her face as she thought about the nights her mum had spent crying herself to sleep. "I thought I might be pregnant, but I didn't want to get your hopes up and then disappoint you."

She waited for any sort of reaction from Viktor, but none came. Deciding to be honest about _everything, _the words just started pouring out of her mouth. "I knew Seamus was a doctor, and we had met during school. I asked him if he could see me 'off the record', so to speak. He agreed to see me under a false name because I knew if the appointment book said "Hermione Krum", it would be on the front page of The Daily Prophet the next day. If something was wrong with me or the baby, then the entire Wizarding world would know, and I just didn't think I could handle…" she shook her head as she blinked back tears.

Seeing her husband's face, she realized how devastated he must have felt when he saw Seamus kiss her. "It was a friendly hug and kiss, I swear to you. He was just excited to see me, and he knew how worried I was about the pregnancy. I'm so sorry," she finished shakily, wishing for some sign that he still loved her.

He continued staring at her for several moments before his mouth finally opened. "Ve are going to be parents?" he asked softly, his dark brown eyes full of hope.

Hermione nodded, not able to speak as tears spilled onto her cheeks. She immediately felt two strong arms encircle her in a fierce hug. She sobbed harder into Viktor's shirt, apologizing over and over for what she had done. He was frantically whispering words into her hair, but he had reverted back to his native tongue, and she could only catch a word or two here and there.

She finally pulled back, sniffling, to look him in the eye. "Viktor, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I still love you, and I hope you can forgive me someday. I promise I would never-"

"Shhh," Viktor said, placing his finger gently on her lips. "Nothing to forgiff, loff," he said as he brushed away errant tears. "I believe you, and I know vhy you did it. I am not upset vit you. It is I vho should be begging for your forgiffness."

"No!" Hermione exclaimed, shaking her head. "I was the one who kept something from you. It was _my _fault," she said stubbornly, refusing to let him take the blame. He had only reacted the way anyone would have given the situation.

"Vas _both _our faults," Viktor said in a mock stern voice. "Does not matter any more." He paused for a moment then added in a gentler tone, "I loff you, and we are haffing baby together."

"Yes, we are," Hermione said, trying to keep from crying all over again, although this time for an entirely different reason.

"Is boy or girl?" Viktor asked, his hand dropping down to tenderly rub her flat stomach. She felt herself blush at the intimate gesture.

"I don't know yet," she admitted with a shy smile. "I wanted you to be there with me when we found out."

His face practically lit up at her words. "I vill be happy either vay, loff," he said, his hand still caressing her belly. "As long as I haff you, I vill be happy."

"Oh, Viktor," Hermione cried, reaching up to place her arms around his neck. "You will always have me. You're the only man I could ever love," she said fiercely, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Hermione," he breathed, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I loff you, too. You are only voman for me." He murmured a few more words in Bulgarian before he suddenly placed his other arm on the back of her legs and swung her up in his arms. She was momentarily startled by the sudden movement, but she immediately relaxed when she realized what was on his mind. "I think ve should go to bedroom so I can show you how much I loff you," he said huskily, nuzzling her neck.

"That is a _brilliant_ idea, Mr. Krum," she said before capturing his lips in a passionate kiss.

* * *

**Of course I couldn't let Hermione cheat on Viktor! I like the pairing too much. :) Besides, I'm a sucker for happy endings. I thought about including one more chapter, but not sure if this is a more natural ending or not. Thoughts? **


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